Time cycle controller



1942- w. J. BROWN ET AL TIME CYCLE CONTROLLER 2 Sheets-Sheet lIII/IIII/IIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIII Filed Oct. 11, 1940 INVENTORS. WILLIAM JBROWN EVAN A. EDWARDS l ZKNEST J HE'L MANN ATTORNEY.

Feb. 10, 1942. w J BROWN ETAL 2,272,237

TIME CYCLE CONTROLLER Filed Oct. 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR5.MLLIAM J BROWN EVAN A. EDWARDS 135N552 J. HE DMANN ZATTQRNEY.

Patented Feb. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TIME CYCLE CONTROLLERApplication October 11, 1940, Serial No. 360,822

3 Claims.

This invention relates to time cycle controllers.

In many industrial processes it is necessary to control the sequence andduration of a series of steps or operations involved therein. In orderto effect this result, it is the practice to utilize a device known as atime cycle controller. Since the duration of the various steps oroperations vary with different types of products, it is neces sary thatthe controller be readily set by simple adjustments so that the processoperations can be quickly varied at will. Such a controller must bereliable in operation, since the failure of the controller to establishthe predetermined sequence and to measure accurately the duration of theseveral operations will result in defective products. Furthermore, thecontroller should be of simple construction so that it can be easilyrepaired since it is usually employed in connection with an expensivemachine which is disabled if the controller fails.

In prior timing devices it has been customary to employ a cam andfollower for actuating a switch or air relay during a desired interval.However, where such a cam is used it is necessary that the cam peripherybe accurately profiled within close limits, if accurate timing resultsare to be obtained. Such accurate profiling of the cam is expensive andfurthermore, it becomes necessary to provide a new cam whenever the timeinterval is to be changed. While it has been proposed to make adjustablecams to provide variable contours, such adjustable cams are expensive tomake and are not always easy to adjust to a given time interval. Inaccordance with the present invention, it has been proposed to obviatethe use of cams and to use instead, adjustable stop elements forreleasing and restoring a trigger mechanism whereby a switch or relay isrespectively moved to its open and closed position.

For a clearer understanding of the invention, reference is made to thedrawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the timing device ofthe present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with thedriving gears broken away; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary plan, sideand end detail views, respectively, of the adjustable stop and a portionof a rotating, drum illustrating the method of mounting the stops on thedrum; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the trigger or trip mechanism foroperating and restoring a switch of the mercury bottle type; Figs. 7, 8and 9 and Figs. 7a, 8a and 9a are diagrammatic end and side viewsillustrating the mechanism of Fig. 6 in its normal position, its trippedposition and during the operation of being restored to normal; Fig. 10is a perspective View of the trip mechanism in combination with a relayair valve to be actuated thereby; Figs. 11 and 11a are diagrammatic endand side views illustrating the mechanism of Fig. 10 in its normalposition; and Figs. 12' and 12a are diagrammatic views illustrating themechanism of Fig. 10 in its normal position but adjusted to give anaction reverse from that shown in Fig. 11.

The timer of the present mechanism includes a constantly rotating drum 5mounted on a suitable shaft B. This shaft is driven through a train ofgears g by the shaft 1 of a suitable motor 8, preferably of thesynchronous type.

The surface of the drum 5 is provided with a series of pairs ofperipheral grooves l I and I2, the lateral walls of which are preferablyundercut as illustrated at l3 in Fig. 5. Each groove of the pair ii andI2 has mounted therein an adjustable stop, groove Ii being provided witha stop l4 and the groove l2 with a stop H5. The stop l4 comprises twomembers, one having a long leg I! and the other having a short leg l8.Each of these members has a wedge-shaped part, both parts respectivelydesignated l9 and 20. being adapted to lie in the groove generally atright angles to the legs so that the inclined edges of these parts,mate. A bolt 2| passing through the short leg I8 and threaded into thelong leg I! is adapted to move the two members toward each other withthe inclined edges of the parts l8 and I9 in engagement so that theouteredges of these parts are forced into engagement with the undercutedges l3 of the retaining groove. This adjustment locks the stop in thegroove H. The stop i5 is similar to the stop M in construction andmounting, except that the longer leg of the stop 15 is short as comparedwith the long leg I! of the stop 14. It will be understood that thestops l4 and I5 may be adjusted along their respective grooves II and 12to vary the angular displacement of these stops with respect to eachother and thereby adjustably determine the timing interval to bemeasured.

The stops l4 and I5 respectively restore and release suitable tripmechanism shown in Figs. 5 and 10. This trip mechanism generallydesignated 22 inches a frame 23. This frame is made from strip materialto have a right angular bracket portion 26 for attachment to the rearwall of the timer with the principal plane of the strip extending in avertical direction. An intermediate or fulcrum part 24 of the strip isformed in spaced parallel relation to the portion 26, while thereniaining parts 23 and 25 of the strip project toward the front of thetimer in parallel offset relation to each other and at right angles tothe bracket portion 26. The upper and lower edges of the free end of thepart 23 are provided with horizontally projecting stops or ears 2'! and28 which extend from the front surface of this part as viewed in Fig. 6.The fulcrum part 24 is provided in its upper and lower edges withrecesses 32 and 3!. These recesses respectively receive and support anupper plate lever 29 and a lower plate lever 30. Each of these leversnear the right hand ends thereof are provided with lateral notches toengage loosely the side walls of its related recess. This enables theplate levers to have limited swinging movement and yet preventslengthwise movement thereof with respect to their mounting. Theright-hand extension of the plate lever 29 beyond the fulcrum, isshorter than the corresponding extension of the plate lever 30, thusplate lever 29 has a lever arm 34 which is shorter than the lever arm 33of the plate lever 30. The free ends of these lever arms are connectedby a coil spring 35 which tends to draw together the right ends of theplate levers 29 and 33 thereby tending to cause the left ends of theselevers to swing apart. The left ends of the levers terminate in a commonvertical plane, the lever 29 terminatingin spaced horizontal lugs 40 anda slotted upstanding lug 35. A latch plate 59 is supported for limitedswinging movement on the lugs 49. As illustrated, the vertical edges ofthe latch plate are notched to receive the inner edges of these lugs anda coiled spring having its ends respectively connected to the latchplate and to an intermediate part of the lever 29, retains these partsin engagement. It will be noted that the lower margin of the latch plateis slotted at 43 to receive a catch 42 projecting from the lower lever30. The lower left edge of the latch plate projects into the path of thestop l5 while the lower right hand ,corner of this plate (Fig. 6) is cutaway so that to corresponding positions to open and close the switch.

By reference to Fig. 6 wherein the trip mechanism is shown in normallatched position, it will be noted that the long lever arm 33 of thelower lever 30 under the influence of the spring 35 causes this lever toengage the ear or stop 28 while the upper lever 29 latched to the lever33 by the latch plate 39 is held away from the ear or stop 21. Thissetting of these levers arises from thefact that the movement of thelonger lever arm 35 about the fulcrum part 24 is considerably greaterthan correspondin movement of the shorter lever arm 34.

With the trip mechanism latched, the mer cury switch 38 is held in theposition shown in Figs. 6 and 7. However, in the course of the rotationof the drum 5. the leg of the stop l5 carried thereby, engages thelowerleft corner of the latching plate 39 (Fig. 1), and forces the latchingplate to swing in a clockwise direction The support 39 is provided withan (Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9), until the lug 42 of lever is disengaged fromthe slot 43 in the plate. When the latch plate is unlatched, the freeend of lug 42 on the plate lever 30 rests against the dependingextension 44 of the latching plate, as shown in Fig. 8. Also when thetripping mechanism is unlatched, the left end of the lever will belowered into engagement with the ear 21 and the left end of the lever 29will be raised by the coil spring to the position shown in Fig. 8, whereihis lever engages the upper car 21. The lever 29 when thus raised,tilts the mercury switch 38 to the position shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

When the drum 5 has rotated through a given part of its cycle, the longstop l4 restores the trip mechanism 22 to its latched position.Therefore the angular displacement between the stop I5 and the long stopl4 determines the length of timewhich the mercury switch remains in agiven tilted position such as shown in Fig. 8. It will be noted that thelower lever 30 is provided with a struck-up curved portion 45 providingclearance for the long leg [1 of the stop l4 during the major portion ofits movement under the trip mechanism. However, by reference to Fig. 9it will be noted that the stop 14 will engage the free end of thestruck-up portion on lever 30. and will raise the left-end of this leverto a position where its projecting lug 42 will en-- gage in the recess43 of the latching plate. This arrangement provides a quick elevation ofthe lever 30. The coil spring S will first urge the latch plate againstthe end of the part 42 to latch the mechanism and when the long stop [4moves clear of the lever 30, the spring 35 will cause the partsincluding the mercury switch 33 to assume again the position shown inFigs. 6 and 7.

While the device has been described and illustrated with but a singlestop in each of the grooves H and I2 of the drum 5, it will beappreciated that a plurality of sets of stops, each set including ashort stop and a long stop, may be provided to measure off a pluralityof time inter: vals in each cycle whereby the mercury switch 38 may beopened and closed several times during each rotationof the drum.

In Figs. 1'0, 11 and 12, there is shown a slightly modified applicationof the trip mechanism wherein it is used to control the operation of anair relay valve 45. This relay valve 45 may be of the conventionalconstruction including a body 46 having a plurality of portscommunicating with a bore in the body. in which bore a plunger 4! ismovable to connect an inlet port 43 with either an outlet port 49 orwith an exhaust port 50. A stem 5| connected to the plunger engages theupper surface of a fulcrum strip 52 which has one of its ends projectinginto the slot provided in the upstanding lug 35 f the lever 29 of thetrip mechanism. An intermediate portion of the strip is held by asuitable leaf spring 53 against the downturned end 54 of a bracket 55screwed to the bottom of the valve body. The trip mechanism of thisapplication of the in ention may be identical with that shown in Figs. 6to 9 inclusive, the parts thereof corresponding to the parts of theabove described trip mechanism being identified by similar referencecharacters. The bracket 55 is preferably secured to the valve casing insuch a manner that its downturned end 54.may be disposed in the positionshown in Figs. 10 and 11 or in the position shown in Fig. 12.

When theshort stop 15 unlatches the trip mechanism shown in Fig. 10 toswing the plate restored by means of the long stop 14 as in the case ofthe previously described modification of the trip mechanism so that thefulcrum strip will be lowered to its original position as shown in Figs.10 and 11, the plunger being returned by gravity or by a spring (notshown).

By reference to Fig. 12 wherein the bracket 55 is reversed 180 from itsposition in Figs. 10 and 11, it will be noted that the fulcrum plate 48maintains the plunger in its raised position when the trip mechanism isin normal latched condition. When the trip mechanism is unlatched theplunger will drop to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 12.The restoration of the trip mechanism to its latched condition by meansof the long stop I4 is effected in the manner already described.

In certain installations where the timer is used, it may be desirable totrip a plurality of switches or relays simultaneously. In the presentarrangement this can be effected without utilizing the tripping stops[5. To effect this result a rod or shaft A extends along the back of thetimer in parallel relation to the axis of the drum. The shaft A isprovided with a downwardly extending arm positioned at the rear of eachtripping mechanism. Each arm has pivoted thereto a rod B which ispositioned just back of the latching plate in its last latched position,the rod being guided by a perforated bracket integral with the car 28(Fig. 6). It will be appreciated that when the shaft A is rocked in aclockwise direction, each of the rods B will engage its individual latchplate to disengage this plate from the retaining lug 42 on the lever 30.The means for rocking the shaft A includes an arm C projecting at rightangles thereto. The free end of this arm is pivoted to the plunger D ofa solenoid E. It will be understood that suitable circuit connectionsare provided for this solenoid so that on the depression of a pushbutton (not shown), a plurality of latched plates on the timer will bereleased to correspondingly actuate a plurality of switches or airrelays. It will be appreciated that the mounting of the several rods Bis such that although they are simultaneously actuated by the solenoidE, these rods are easily deflected when their individual trippingmechanisms are latched down.

We claim:

1. A time cycle controller comprising a rotatable member, a pair ofactuators carried by said member, a trip mechanism supported inoperative relation to said actuators and comprising a support, a pair ofspaced parallel members mounted for limited pivotal movement on saidsupport, resilient means connecting said members at one side of saidsupport, said resilient means being effective at an inclined angle tosaid support, means for latching said members together at the side ofsaid support opposite said resilient means, one of said actuators beingadapted to release said latching means, the other of said actuatorsbeing adapted to restore said latching means, and control means adjustedby said trip mechanism in its latched and unlatched positions.

2. In a trip and latch mechanism, a support, a pair of spaced leversfulcrumed on said support in superimposed relation for movement towardand away from one another, the lever arms at one side of said fulcrumbeing of unequal length and the lever arms at the other side of saidfulcrum being of substantially equal length, resilient means biasing thefree ends of said unequal lever arms toward each other, a latch mountedon the free end of one of said equal-length lever arms for releasablyengaging the free end of the other of said equal-length lever arms,stops for limiting the movement of said last-mentioned arms away fromeach other, and means for releasing and reengaging said latch.

3. In a trip and latch mechanism, a support,

a pair of spaced levers fulcrumed on said support in superimposedrelation for movement toward and away from one another, the lever armsat one side of said fulcrum being of unequal length and the lever armsat the other side of said fulcrum being of substantially equal length, acoil spring connecting the free ends of said unequal lever arms biasingsaid ends towardeach other, a latch mounted on the free end of one ofsaid equal-length lever arms for releasably engaging the free end of theother of said equal-length lever arms, stops for limiting the movementof said last-mentioned arms away from each other, and means forreleasing and reengaging said latch.

WILLIAM J. BROWN.

EVAN A. EDWARDS.

ERNEST J. HELDMANN.

